Operation Stevenage

STEVENAGE are the next hurdle for Argyle to overcome and manager Ryan Lowe is expecting a very different test to the one faced in the Boxing Day victory at Cheltenham, or on New Year’s Day, when Swindon visit Home Park.

Unlike the Robins of Cheltenham and Swindon, Stevenage are fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table and have turned to Graham Westley for his fourth spell as manager.

“Cheltenham were fourth before we played them, now we’re playing Stevenage, who are bottom of the league and then we’ve got Swindon,” said Ryan.

“We don’t look any further than Stevenage, we respect every team and Stevenage will be a different animal under Graham Westley because of the way he is and the way he sets his teams up.

“We won’t take anything granted. We will look at Swindon after Stevenage but, first and foremost, we’ve got to make sure we do it right against Stevenage.

“Graham has his own way, his own approach, his own tactics and that’s his style. I respect him for that and he’s won promotions, so I’ll never disrespect Graham Westley. Expect the unexpected from Graham Westley.

“They [the players] have been great and I always say the teams down the bottom are the tougher ones because they’ve got nothing to lose. They can just be gung-ho if they need to be.

“The teams at the top are there for a reason, they play good football, go about their business in a different way and stick to their plans. That’s not disrespecting the teams at the bottom but when you’re down there, you’re fighting for your lives and want to get points in any way.

“I’ve instilled into our lads not to take anything for granted and expect the unexpected because that’s what football is about. You give every opponent the respect they deserve because no-one will come to Home Park and just lie down. It’s up to us to put on a performance and get the three points.

“It’s about sticking to a plan because, if you do that, you will get your rewards. It’s up to us to break them down. If you get the first goal, then great, but if you don’t, it doesn’t matter, you just keep going.

“They [Stevenage] will be solid, they will be resolute and they’ve got some older pros in there. We treat everyone the same, they might have a different style to Cheltenham or the way Swindon will be but as long as we focus on ourselves, we will be ok."